There is an ever-increasing need for reusable space launch vehicles. An example of a partially reusable spacecraft is the Space Shuttle, used by NASA for a number of years. There were numerous advances made in the development leading up to the Space Shuttle, but for the past two decades, both aviation and space launch vehicle technology have been relatively stagnant. Aviation progress has been limited by acceptance of the limits of propulsion technology based upon, as turbine engines. Commercial aviation manufacturers at present cannot economically provide an aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound. This is partly due to the technological challenges of sustained supersonic flight coupled with environmental concerns about noise pollution resulting from sonic booms and ozone layer depletion. Even military aircraft, designed to maximize performance, suffer due to the inherent limits in gas turbine engine technology.
With regard to space launch vehicles, progress is stalled because the principal customers for launch services are governments, which typically are not concerned about commercializing a product. All current space launch systems are expendable systems with huge manufacturing costs for each flight. Testing costs are enormous, and even when all goes well, a typical space launch system can only be used for one application.
With the end of the Cold War, particularly high quality reusable and affordable rocket engines are now available from Russian manufacturers. This advantage, combined with recent advances in aircraft design, manufacturing technology, and our unique and proprietary vehicle concept offers the opportunity for a revolutionary aerospace plane, which uses existing gas turbine engines for take off and landing, existing rocket engines for acceleration to extreme speeds, and existing structural materials technology throughout.
There exists a need to launch satellites on reusable launch vehicles. At present, there are over 1200 small satellite launches planned over the next seven years, which at current prices represents a total market of over ten billion dollars. At present, such satellites will have only two ways of being launched: 1) with the use of the Space Shuttle or similar system, and 2) with the use of a one-launch rocket. There exists a need for a rocket powered airplane ("rocketplane") which can not only launch satellites, but also make possible global same-day package delivery, assist the military, or offer the potential to fly passengers across the globe in less than an hour. With the ever-growing expansion of trade and travel across the Pacific Rim, potential long-range sales of such vehicles are astronomical.
Reusable rocketplanes have been disclosed. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,642, a high altitude rocket airplane is described. The plane takes off with the normal use of gas turbines, and reaches an altitude of approximately 25,000 feet. At that altitude, there is an in-air fuel transfer with the use of a flying tanker. Thereafter, two rocket motors are used to supplement the airplane propulsion to bring the rocket airplane up to an elevation of 80,000 to 156,000 feet. At this stage, the airplane is part rocket, part airplane. After 156,000 feet, only the rocket engine is propelling the rocket airplane, and at this altitude, a satellite or other payload can be launched. Thereafter, the rocket airplane returns to the Earth's surface.
What is needed is an efficient system which allows the mid-air transfer of oxidizer with minimal spillage, as this is the largest part of the propellant mass.
There is a need for a piloted rocketplane which can be tested incrementally and under FAA regulations.
There is a need for a rocketplane that can fly over populated areas without needing restrictive range safety procedures.
There is a need for a rocketplane that has a pilot that backs up an autonomous flight control system, thus reducing the cost and risk of flight control software development.
There is a need for a rocketplane that uses only air-breathing, engines for takeoff and landing.
There is a need for a rocketplane that requires a low maintenance thermal protection system.
There is a need for a rocketplane that uses no toxic propellants.
There is a need for a rocketplane that does not use liquid hydrogen.
Finally, there is a need for a rocketplane that utilizes standard production jet engines.